1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to image recording apparatus capable of recording images on record media being conveyed in parallel with each other.
2. Description of Related Art
As an ink-jet printer for printing by ejecting liquid ink onto a paper, there is known a printer in which a paper roll formed by rolling a long paper is installed and images are printed in sequence with a printing head on the paper being taken out from the roll. Image data to be recorded may include images different in length from each other in the order of photographing for example.
In such a printer, printing may be performed substantially at the same time onto two relatively narrow papers disposed in parallel with each other in order to improve the processing performance of the printer. In this case, images different in length from each other are printed in sequence with being properly allotted to each of the two papers disposed in parallel. In many cases, such a printer is provided with a cutting unit including a long guillotine cutting edge extending over the two papers disposed in parallel. The printer thereby can cope with a case wherein a wide paper is conveyed in a single line.
In case of cutting a long paper into a predetermined length before an image is printed thereon, since the vicinity of the leading edge of the paper disposed to be opposite to a printing head may separate from the supporting face for the paper, the flatness of the print surface in the vicinity of the leading edge of the paper may not be ensured. In this case, the image printed in the vicinity of the leading edge of the paper may be bad. In case that printing is performed at a relatively high speed to the vicinity of the leading edge of the paper, the image printed in the vicinity of the leading edge of the paper is apt to be uneven, so the image is apt to be bad. Therefore, it is desirable to perform printing at a relatively low speed to the vicinity of the leading edge of the paper. In this case, however, the processing performance of the printer is lowered. Consequently, in such a printer, it is preferable that a long paper is cut at the tail end of each image after the image is printed.
In such a printer, two papers disposed in parallel are cut at the rear end of each image independently of each other or substantially at the same time. The papers are then discharged from the printer or conveyed in a direction perpendicularly to the conveyance direction before printing. In some cases, they are piled together. In the existing circumstances, however, such a printer is not so designed as to convey or pile, after printing, printed papers in the order of photographing of images printed thereon. Therefore, the papers being conveyed or piled after printing must be rearranged in the order of photographing.
When images different in length start at the same time to be printed on two papers disposed in parallel, the positions of the rear ends of the two images are not the same. Therefore, in case of cutting the papers with a cutting unit including a long guillotine cutting edge extending over the two papers disposed in parallel, if one paper is cut at the rear end of a printed image, the other paper is cut in the middle of a printed image or with a margin where no image is printed.
Therefore, to cut the two papers disposed in parallel at the rear ends of two images with such a cutting unit without wasting the papers and cutting a margin provided after the rear end of an image, the two papers must be cut independently of each other a the rear ends of the images. As a result, the number of cuts with the cutting unit is substantially the same as the number of printed images. Thus, in this case, the number of cuts with the cutting unit is inevitably large. In many cases, the life of such a guillotine cutting unit as described above is determined by the number of cuts. For example, the cutting performance of the unit for paper deteriorates as the number of cuts increases. Besides, in case of cutting two papers independently, xe2x80x9ccut the airxe2x80x9d (cutting edges cross each other in a state that there is no paper) occurs in a portion corresponding to the conveyance path for the paper not to be cut with the guillotine edge of the cutting unit. In case of xe2x80x9ccut the airxe2x80x9d with the guillotine cutting edge, when both edges cross each other, the wear of each edge is intense. This easily deteriorates the guillotine cutting edge. Thus, in case of a large number of cuts with the cutting unit and in case that xe2x80x9ccut the airxe2x80x9d with the cutting unit frequently occurs in one of the conveyance paths for two papers, the life of the cutting unit is shortened.
To equalize the positions of the rear ends of images printed on two papers, it is thinkable that the conveyance of one paper is stopped when an image has been printed on the paper, and printing an image and conveyance continue to the only other paper. In this case, however, the processing performance of the printer is lowered. Besides, it is also thinkable that two cutting units each including a cutting edge extending over only one paper are provided for cutting two papers disposed in parallel substantially at the same time with the respective cutting units. In this case, however, excessive manufacturing cost is produced. In addition, there is a disadvantage that a single wide paper having substantially the same width as the whole width of the paper conveyance path can not be cut.
In case of cutting two papers disposed in parallel at the rear ends of images substantially at the same time, the order of images printed on papers discharged from the printer may not be the same as the predetermined order of image data. As a result, the printed papers discharged from the printer must be rearranged in the order of image data.
An object of the present invention is to provide image recording apparatus capable of conveying or piling record media on which images have been recorded, in the order of images when images to be recorded on the record media being conveyed in parallel are in a predetermined sequence order.
Another object of the present invention is to provide image recording apparatus capable of decreasing the number of cuts of record media with a cutting unit when images including kinds of images different from each other in length are recorded in sequence on record media disposed in parallel with each other.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide image recording apparatus capable of suppressing the occurrence of xe2x80x9ccut the airxe2x80x9d with a cutting unit when images including kinds of images different from each other in length are recorded in sequence on record media disposed in parallel with each other.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide image recording apparatus capable of cutting record media on which images have been recorded, at suitable positions with preventing the processing performance from lowering when images including kinds of images different from each other in length are recorded in sequence on record media disposed in parallel with each other.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide image recording apparatus capable of discharging record media on which images have been recorded, in a predetermined sequence order when images including kinds of images different from each other in length to be recorded on record media disposed in parallel with each other are in the predetermined sequence order.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, an image recording apparatus comprises an image recording unit capable of recording images on record media neighboring each other. Each record medium has a long shape. The apparatus further comprises first conveyance means capable of conveying the record media independently of each other. The record media are disposed in parallel with each other. The apparatus further comprises a cutting unit disposed downstream of the image recording unit. The cutting unit is capable of cutting the record media being conveyed by the first conveyance means. The apparatus further comprises image allotment means for allotting images to each of the record media such that an order of images to be recorded on each record medium gradually increases toward a tail end of each record medium when images to be recorded on the record media are in a predetermined sequence order. The apparatus further comprises second conveyance means for conveying the record media cut by the cutting unit, in a direction crossing a conveyance direction by the first conveyance means. The apparatus further comprises conveyance control means for controlling the first conveyance means such that the order of images recorded on each record medium being conveyed by the second conveyance means and having reached a predetermined position increases one by one in the order of the record media having reached the predetermined position.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, an image recording apparatus comprises an image recording unit capable of recording images on record media neighboring each other. Each record medium has a long shape. The apparatus further comprises first conveyance means capable of conveying the record media independently of each other. The record media are disposed in parallel with each other. The apparatus further comprises a cutting unit disposed downstream of the image recording unit. The cutting unit is capable of cutting the record media being conveyed by the first conveyance means. The apparatus further comprises image allotment means for allotting images to each record medium such that an order of images to be recorded on each record medium gradually decreases toward a tail end of each record medium when images to be recorded on the record media are in a predetermined sequence order. The apparatus further comprises second conveyance means for conveying the record media cut by the cutting unit, in a direction crossing a conveyance direction by the first conveyance means. The apparatus further comprises conveyance control means for controlling the first conveyance means such that the order of images recorded on each record medium being conveyed by the second conveyance means and having reached a predetermined position decreases one by one in the order of the record media having reached the predetermined position.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, an image recording apparatus comprises an image recording unit capable of recording images on record media neighboring each other. Each record medium has a long shape. The apparatus further comprises conveyance means capable of conveying the record media independently of each other. The record media are disposed in parallel with each other. The apparatus further comprises a cutting unit disposed downstream of the image recording unit. The cutting unit includes a cutting edge extending over the record media. The apparatus further comprises conveyance control means for controlling the conveyance means such that rear ends of images recorded on the most front portion of at least two record media are aligned at a cutting position by the cutting unit and at this time, leading ends of the remaining record media are upstream of the cutting position when the image recording unit records images in sequence and the images include kinds of images different in length along lengths of the record media.
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, an image recording apparatus comprises an image recording unit capable of recording images on record media neighboring each other. Each record medium has a long shape. The apparatus further comprises conveyance means capable of conveying the record media in parallel with each other. The conveyance means is further capable of forming a suspended portion of each record medium downstream of the image recording unit when the image recording unit records images in a sequence and the images include kinds of images different in length along lengths of the record media. The apparatus further comprises a cutting unit disposed downstream of suspended portions of the record media. The cutting unit includes a cutting edge extending over the record media being conveyed by the conveyance means. The apparatus further comprises detection means for detecting a quantity of the suspended portion of each record medium. The apparatus further comprises conveyance control means for controlling the conveyance means on the basis of detection results of the detection means such that each record medium has a suspended portion, one record medium is conveyed from its suspended portion toward the cutting unit, and the other record media are not conveyed from their suspended portions toward the cutting unit.